Free software is helpful for playing music, but it is not yet useful for Eclipse Audio

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For years, Windows has had the ability to optimally calibrate speakers for music playback in a specific room. It is also very useful for reproducing surround sound at home.. This isn't free software, but there's no need to pay extra for this feature. It's available in the system's audio processor driver and can be used with desktop PCs. The situation is different when you want to listen to music through speakers connected to a laptop's headphone output. In that case, you'll need to install additional software.

Foobar caught the eye early in the audio world  , and there are plugins for it that allow for quite precise PC configuration to suit individual needs. Among them, the MathAudio Room EQ plugin is available free of charge . It can be used to calibrate speakers connected to a laptop's headphone output. However, it only works in stereo. It's perfect for portable speakers, which have their limitations, and there's no point in investing in expensive calibration software.

This plugin performed very well with the Swiss manufacturer's active speakers. Logitech Z 207 showed here that the free foobar plugin application has become an exceptionally practical solution for laptops and is worth using. Perhaps there will also be a version useful for recordings from Eclipse Audio, but for now such a solution is probably very far away.

The situation is different when investing in some speakers from a Finnish manufacturer, but their price is quite high. This investment will also be unsuccessful without the manufacturer's appropriate software. The more expensive Genelec speakers are, the more important it becomes to calibrate them using the manufacturer's software. Cheaper Genelec models that lack this option are definitely a worse investment. This software is hardware-based and, with speakers adapted to it, should work well with any surround sound setup. These speakers are therefore already adapted for Eclipsa Audio, but it is not certain whether it will be an optimal investment.

Those using a laptop and a good home theater audio system  can invest in Swedish software. It also works well with stereo systems. It's a good choice for playing music with a laptop and a high-end audio system. Installed in a laptop, it can control both home audio and road-ready speakers. High-end home theater amplifiers also use the American offerings from Audyssey Laboratories . Recently, however, manufacturers of these amplifiers have been recommending the use of Swedish software. Marketing information from hardware manufacturers suggests that this software is somehow associated with the system, but it currently has no significant impact, which may change.

There's also a plug-in for foobar for advanced audio playback configuration with surround speakers. Theoretically, it offers a wide range of individual settings for Eclipsa Audio recordings , but in practice, it's difficult to use, even though it assumes the ability to decode analog quadraphonic recordings. It shouldn't have any problems with nearly half-a-century-old technology, but there's a caveat:  SQ is decoded with mono surrounds (i.e., like ProLogic I), due to a defective coding specification. QS requires the front stereo separation to be set to 1.5, or else the sound field will be too narrow.  In the case of modern solutions like Eclipsa Audio  or  Dolby Atmos , other solutions are needed, where such a plug-in is temporarily insufficient. Effective support at the operating system level will be necessary. The alternative is independent software, the development of which requires appropriate resources, which incurs costs. This is the most significant difference between Atmos and Eclipsa .

 

Dolby collects licensing fees from both the recording creators and the equipment. This is legally binding, which significantly complicates any development work. This may have worked somewhat with professional installations in movie theaters. It performed poorly in homes, but it worked well with DVD distribution. It was a practical compromise, but it's no longer relevant. Today, solutions are needed that are suitable for mass online distribution and individual home viewing. Creating this for Atmos  was completely impossible due to licensing fees that are insufficient to finance extensive, advanced work and, moreover, make it very difficult in terms of formalities.

This resulted in Samsung's Eclipsa  Audio  proposal gaining broad support from internet giants within  the Alliance for Open Media . Microsoft is also among them  , and they won't miss the opportunity to support new surround sound solutions in Windows at the OS level . This could even be a pretext to introduce new Windows applications, but they need to be very careful, as they've already been  fined €497.2 million  for Media Player  . A smart move is developing Eclipsa Audio  for Windows and, at the same time, for Samsung 's Linux -based Tizen TVs . Furthermore, it ensures optimal performance with the  Chrome browser , as  Google , through the latter, has also been accused of monopolistic tendencies. This provides enormous potential for Eclipsa Audio development , which will then be utilized by developers of free Windows applications and browser-based solutions. 

A big surprise might be the Korean program PotPlayer , which is free and already offers a wide range of audio configuration options. Expect more direct collaboration with Samsung , which owns many legendary audio brands. 

There's already a plugin for foobar  that supports the Microsoft Spatial Sound API . However, the performance isn't yet stable enough, which isn't necessarily due to the plugin. It's possible that this will change with the development of  Eclipse Audio . This is likely because the configuration in foobar with output supported by plugins for  the Windows Audio Session Application Programming Interface has been very stable for years, and the same is true for other programs, including free ones.

 

In foobar, spatial audio output  now works reliably with  Windows Sonic for Headphones , which is included with the operating system. This feature also works reliably with other software. Similar support for the format being developed by Alliance for Open Media can be expected .

However, other surround sound options  must be downloaded from the Microsoft Store :

• Download Dolby Access to start your free trial of Dolby Atmos for Headphones or set up a Dolby Atmos device. 

• Download the DTS® Sound Unbound™ app to unlock (for free) the DTS:X for home theater solution for Xbox / Windows 11, or start your free trial of DTS® Headphone:X® for Xbox and PC to amplify your gaming and video content.